Firearm magazine identifier

ABSTRACT

A magazine identifier is provided. The magazine identifier is an endless band having a front surface, a rear surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, an inner surface, an upper rim and a lower rim. The endless band is formed of a material with a rubber elasticity. For example, the endless band may be made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, silicone or any material with a similar elasticity to rubber. The endless band is placed over a magazine of a firearm to identify the type of ammunition carried within the magazine and the owner of the magazine.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisionalapplication number 62/134,996, filed Mar. 18, 2015, the contents ofwhich are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to firearm magazines and, moreparticularly, to a stretchable band used to identify types of ammunitionloaded in the magazine and used to identify the owner of the firearmmagazine.

Rifle magazines are often identical. Unmarked or inadequately marked gunmagazines left in storage or when used at a private, a military or apolice firing range or when actually used in the field by civilians,military and police can lead to misidentification of the load in themagazine and/or the owner of the magazine with tragic, even fatal,consequences. Many rifle magazines can be loaded with several differenttypes of ammunition. At this date and time once a magazine Is loaded thecommon way to know what ammunition is in the magazine and who owns themagazine is to use colored tape, put a colored mark the magazine baseplate, or to employ homemade stickers, markings using colored ink orpencil and similar improvisational systems that can either be easilyremoved or marked over, fall off, not be seen from the side of themagazine or unaccountably disappear and leave a debris catching residueon the magazine.

As can be seen, there is a need for an improvement in identifying thetype of ammunition in a firearm magazine and the owner of that magazine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a magazine identifier comprises:an endless band comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a first sidesurface, a second side surface, an inner surface, an upper rim and alower rim, wherein the endless band is formed of a material comprising arubber elasticity, a first ridge and a second ridge protrude from thefront surface forming a finger groove in between, and at least one ofthe first side surface and the second side surface comprise a writableportion.

In another aspect of the present invention, a magazine identifiercomprises: an endless band comprising a front surface, a rear surface, afirst side surface, a second side surface, an inner surface, an upperrim and a lower rim, wherein the endless band is formed of a materialcomprising a rubber elasticity, and a text disposed on one of the firstside surface and the second side surface, where in the pre-printed textcomprises an ammunition type.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method of identifying amagazine comprises: providing an endless band comprising a frontsurface, a rear surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, aninner surface, an upper rim and a lower rim, wherein the endless band isformed of a material comprising a rubber elasticity; wrapping theendless band around the magazine of a firearm; and a writable strip oneach side of the invention where the user can mark in pen the ammunitionload in the magazine, the caliber of bullet in the magazine and/or thename of the owner of the magazine.

In another aspect of the present invention, a magazine identifiercomprises: an endless band comprising a front surface, a rear surface, afirst side surface, a second side surface, an inner surface, an upperrim and a lower rim, wherein the endless band is formed of a materialcomprising a rubber elastic: whereby the design with its texturedsurface and finger ridges give the user a better grip on the magazine.

In another aspect of the present invention, a magazine identifiercomprises: an endless band comprising a front surface, a rear surface, afirst side surface, a second side surface, an inner surface, an upperrim and a lower rim, wherein the endless band is formed of a rubberelasticity, produced in multiple colors, such as but not limited to,red, blue, black, white, grey, green, pink and the like, to help theuser easily identify their magazine from other rifle owners' magazines.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventionin use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a section view of the present invention taken along line 3-3in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

The present invention includes a heavy duty color-coded stretchable bandplaced over a magazine in order to identify the type of ammunition themagazine carries. The present invention includes an easy to write on,durable, rubber or silicone elastic band appropriately marked and placedon a gun magazine to prevent the loss of or confusion as to the contentsof the gun magazine and the owner of the gun magazine.

Since many ammunition types and calibers may be loaded in the samemagazine the present invention provides a superior identification methodthat improves the safety of rifle operation by reducing the possibilityof firing the wrong ammunition in a rifle. Firing the wrong ammunitionin a rifle could result in injury or death to the operator and/orbystanders.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, the present invention includes amagazine identifier. The magazine identifier is an endless band 10having a front surface, a rear surface, a first side surface, a secondside surface, an inner surface, an upper rim and a lower rim. Theendless band 10 is formed of a material with a rubber elasticity. Forexample, the endless band may be made of natural rubber, syntheticrubber, silicone or any material with a similar elasticity to rubber.The endless band 10 is placed over a magazine 20 of a firearm 22 toidentify the type of ammunition carried within the magazine 20.

The endless band 10 may identify the type of ammunition using differentmethods. For example, a text 16 indicating the type of ammunition may beprinted on the first side surface, the second side surface or both. Incertain embodiments, the first side surface, the second side surface orboth may include a writeable surface 30 in which a user may write on theendless band 10 using a pen or marker. In certain embodiments, aplurality of endless bands 10 may each include different colors, therebyidentifying the type of ammunition and/or the owner of the magazine.

The endless band 10 of the present invention may further include ridges14 forming a finger groove in between. For example, a first ridge 14 anda second ridge 14 protrude from the front surface. The first ridge 14and the second ridge 14 may be substantially parallel relative to oneanother. The first ridge 14 may protrude from the front surfaceextending from the upper rim, and the second ridge 14 may protrude fromthe front surface extending from the lower rim. The finger grooves 14allow users to easily grip the magazines 20. For example, as illustratedin FIG. 1, a plurality of endless bands 10 may form a plurality offinger grooves, allowing a user to easily grasp the magazine 20.

In certain embodiments, the endless band 10 includes a textured surface12. The textured surface 12 adds additional grip to the magazine 20 whenthe elastic bands 10 are placed on the magazine 20. The textured surface12 may be disposed on the front surface, rear surface, first sidesurface and second side surface. The textured surface 12 may thereby beplaced all over the elastic band 10 except for the inner surface and thewriting surface 30. Therefore, the writing surface 30 and the innersurface may be smooth 18.

The present invention may further include a method of identifying amagazine 20. The method may include the following steps: providing anendless band 10 comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a first sidesurface, a second side surface, an inner surface, an upper rim and alower rim, wherein the endless band 10 is formed of a materialcomprising a rubber elasticity; wrapping the endless band 10 around themagazine 20 of a firearm 22; and printing a text 16 on one of the firstside surface and the second side surface, wherein the text 16 comprisesan ammunition type of the magazine.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A magazine identifier comprising: an endless bandcomprising a front surface, a rear surface, a first side surface, asecond side surface, an inner surface, an upper rim and a lower rim,wherein the endless band is formed of a material comprising a rubberelasticity, a first ridge and a second ridge protrude from the frontsurface forming a finger groove in between, and at least one of thefirst side surface and the second side surface comprise a writableportion.
 2. The magazine identifier of claim 1, wherein the first ridgeand the second ridge are substantially parallel relative to one another.3. The magazine identifier of claim 1, wherein the first ridge protrudesfrom the front surface extending from the upper rim, and the secondridge protrudes from the front surface extending from the lower rim. 4.The magazine identifier of claim 1, wherein the material is texturedexcept for the inner surface and the writable portion, wherein the innersurface and the writable portion are smooth.
 5. The magazine identifierof claim 1, further comprising a text disposed on the writable portion,wherein the text comprises an ammunition type.
 6. The magazineidentifier of claim 1, comprising a plurality of endless bands, whereineach endless band comprises a different color.
 7. A magazine identifiercomprising: an endless band comprising a front surface, a rear surface,a first side surface, a second side surface, an inner surface, an upperrim and a lower rim, wherein the endless band is formed of a materialcomprising a rubber elasticity, and a text disposed on one of the firstside surface and the second side surface, wherein the text comprises anammunition type.
 8. The magazine identifier of claim 7, wherein a firstridge and a second ridge protrude from the front surface forming afinger groove in between.
 9. The magazine identifier of claim 8, whereinthe first ridge and the second ridge are substantially parallel relativeto one another.
 10. The magazine identifier of claim 9, wherein thefirst ridge protrudes from the front surface extending from the upperrim, and the second ridge protrudes from the front surface extendingfrom the lower rim.
 11. A method of identifying a magazine comprising:providing an endless band comprising a front surface, a rear surface, afirst side surface, a second side surface, an inner surface, an upperrim and a lower rim, wherein the endless band is formed of a materialcomprising a rubber elasticity; wrapping the endless band around themagazine of a firearm; and printing a text on one of the first sidesurface and the second side surface, wherein the text comprises anammunition type of the magazine.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein afirst ridge and a second ridge protrude from the front surface forming afinger groove in between.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the firstridge and the second ridge are substantially parallel relative to oneanother.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first ridge protrudesfrom the front surface extending from the upper rim, and the secondridge protrudes from the front surface extending from the lower rim.